News from the Headteacher

Dear Parents

As you know we had our Ofsted inspection this week. The inspection was led by Mr Raymond Lau. He was joined by five other Ofsted colleagues and they spent two days observing lessons and talking to students, staff and governors. The inspectors have given us some verbal feedback about the many good things they saw and the improvements that have already been made in the last year. There are further improvements that need to be made and I know I have the full commitment and support of staff and governors in continuing our journey. My thanks also go to you as parents for your continuing support of your children and our school. The report will be published in a few weeks.

Last week a group of our History students took part in Museum Takeover Day. This was an occasion when our group, along with students from Moulsham High School ran the museum for the day. Three of our students – Oliver Woodward, Heather Nye and Anna Burns were interviewed for the Dave Monk Show on BBC Radio Essex and were excellent ambassadors for the school. It is about two-and-a-half hours into the programme and will still be available on iplayer if you are really quick! There are more details and photographs later in the newsletter.

This morning I spent an hour listening to groups from each Y7 form making presentations about the charity they would like to support in their Christmas Fair planed for 14th December. The presentations included excellent use of IT, a drama presentation, clear and articulate explanations and confidence in speaking in front of an audience. It was really good to see the many skills that the Y7 students have developed in the Discovery Programme being practised so successfully. Well done to them all.

I hope you enjoy reading the rest of our news

Yours sincerely

Carole HermanHeadteacher

Take Over Day – Chelmsford Museum

On Friday 23rd november, 26 Shenfield students from years 8 to 11 took over Chelmsford Museum as part of the Children's Commissioner's Take Over Day initiative.

It was a fantastic opportunity to apply a real life setting to the students' historical studies. They learned all the different aspects of museum life - from preparing the exhibits before opening to the public, to guiding people around and promoting interesting items to them.

Our students did everything! Parents would have been proud, seeing them vacuum the entrance lobby, prepare the tea for a senior citizens' reminisance tea party, and run handling sessions with several groups of under 5s.

Our students were a credit to Shenfield. They were interviewed by the local press, even making it onto the Dave Monk Show on BBC radio Essex.

It was a fabulous day - and one that the students will not forget for a very long time.

This is the text from a letter we have recieved following the 'Take Over Day' at the Chelmsford Museum....

I just wanted to say what a wonderful experience it was for the pupils of Shenfield High School to have the chance to get involved at the museum. Not only as a parent but a member of the public who attended on this day, the pupils were a credit to the School. They all looked smart, were polite and very helpful and should be very proud of themselves.

It is amazing what young people can achieve when given responsibility and I feel it was a great learning curve which instigates the School’s ethos "Leaning for Life".

Hopefully in the future many other children can have the chance to experience such a rewarding day.

Kind Regards(Name Supplied)

Well done to all our students who were involved in the 'Take Over Day'.

Roadster Trip

On Monday 26th November 40 year 12 students attended the ‘Roadster’ trip, providing many students with their first experience of a driving lesson. The police and other emergency services delivered thought-provoking sessions to the groups with the intention to make sure that they were fully aware of all aspects of driving and road safety.

Hannah Richardson won a quiz during the day and won 2 lessons with a local driving school. Once again Shenfield Sixth Form students were commended upon their excellent behaviour and attitude during the day.

All set for year 7 Christmas Bazaar

Year 7 students are currently busy organising a Christmas Bazaar for Friday the 14th December as part of their Discovery programme.

They have been working on the ‘Taking Responsibility’ and ‘Working Together’ Skills Sets in class and this event is to help them develop these skills further. In lessons, they have been finding out roles and responsibilities in charities and this event is to help raise money for their chosen charities.

As well as taking responsibility for their own stalls, each Discovery class is taking a role in the organisation of the morning, some will be organising refreshments, others will be arranging publicity or invitations.

Whatever their role, it is all down to them!

The event is open to year 8 students and parents of year 7 students as well as some other specially invited guests.

WORLD CHALLENGE

233 DAYS TO GO!

TRAINING EXPEDITION HEMEL HEMPSTEAD 24/25 November 2012

All World Challengers took part in a two day training expedition last weekend. Despite the cold, muddy and wet conditions everybody involved had a good time and learnt many basic skills relating to surviving in the jungle. We were trained on incident management, river crossing, health and safety including snake bites and discussed issues such as malaria and yellow fever prevention and basic hygiene. We trekked for 6 hours on the first day and for 3 hours on the second after having spent a restless night in tents due to very strong rain and winds.

The team worked very well together and deserves a huge pat on the shoulder for keeping smiling. Our World Challenge expedition leader commented on how nice the students from Shenfield High were- Well Done team!

Christmas Concert

The Christmas Concert will take place on Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th December at 6.30pm.

Adult tickets £5.00 and concessions tickets £2.50 are now available and order forms can be collected from the Music Department.

Flour Babies – Year 8

Year 8 girls have been reading Flour Babies by Anne Fine with Mrs Beckett. It is the story of teenage boys looking after flour babies for ‘the annual school science fair’ and how being a ‘parent’ helps Simon to analyse his relationship with an absent father.

The class had the chance to create their own flour babies during October half term holiday. Students had to write a daily diary about their flour baby and if possible take photos.

Each student was shown how to make a flour baby and given a set of rules to follow, which included:

Flour Baby Rules:

Must inform parents of the project

Flour babies must be kept clean and dry at all times.

No flour baby may be left unattended at any time, night or day. If you must be out of sight of your flour baby, even for a short time a responsible babysitter must be arranged.

Must keep a diary and write in it daily. Each entry should be not shorter than three full sentences and no longer than five pages.

After the holiday, students presented their work and all seemed to have really enjoyed the project. Shannon Hart thought that “writing the diary was the hardest bit”, although according to Maisy Clarke-Davis “carry it around everywhere even if I went to the shops and it was very heavy” the hardest part of the project. Chloe Osborne thought it was “Good to be trusted to look after the flour baby by Mrs Beckett, but realised that I am far too young for the responsibility of looking after a baby.” Isabella Hinton “enjoyed playing at been a mum, even if people in the street gave her funny looks for carrying around a flour baby.”

Children in Need appeal

Shenfield’s Sixth Form students fully supported the recent Children in Need appeal with a cake sale, complimenting the whole school non-uniform day. This is the 4th different charity that has been supported by the Sixth Form since September.

Well done to all involved

National Theatre Connections Festival 2013

A massive well done and thank you to all the students who auditioned for "I'm Spilling My Heart Out Here". The standard of talent here at Shenfield is overwhelming and they all made my job very difficult!

The festival dates are 22nd April - 28th April and we will be performing on one date at the ArtsDepot Theatre in North London!

Details of tickets will follow!

Saint Francis Hospice

Shenfield Football Academy Top of Conference League

The Shenfield Under 19 Football Academy programme continues to make exceptional progress in its short existence by reaching the summit of the prestigious Youth Conference Alliance League in only the team’s first season at this level.

The programme led by Mr Thomas, has been a huge success in its 2 years to date with the squad also having already advanced to the quarter finals of the Essex Cup. The squad made up of 38 year 12 and 13 students who train hard every day to improve their football whilst studying full academic sixth form courses find themselves unbeaten following 5 wins and 1 draw. Results include a 5-2 demolition of Dagenham and Redbridge and a 6-0 crushing of Braintree Town. Shenfield have been free scoring this season, thanks in part to the goals of Yeshaya Lomotey 23 in 12 games and Liam Smith 12 in 12.

As well as success on the pitch the students have also excelled in the classroom with many of the year 13’s having applied to some of the best Universities in the country and abroad. The academy is set to have students destined for football scholarships in the USA and England as well as 1 student applying to both Oxford and Cambridge.

The boys next game is set at home to unbeaten Thurrock in what is expected to be their toughest test of the season, all support at the game is welcome.

7 girls' basketball

Shenfield High School hosted an invitational basketball tournament for year 7 girls' basketball teams, six different schools brought teams, with 10 teams making up the tournament.

For many of the teams and players this would have been their first experience of playing basketball in a game situation and against other schools, so it was a great opportunity for the girls to have some fun. 4 different games were being played at any one time and were superbly refereed by other Shenfield pupils in the older years.

Shenfield did very well to get one team through to the semi-finals only to lose to the eventual winners - an experienced team from St Martin's. The girls should be very proud for acquitting themselves so well to a sport that is new to them all and playing with true team spirit throughout.